"The Fifth Symphony was composed in an atmosphere of heart-stopping terror just as Moscow’s elite seemed to be devouring itself. For some, it was forced labour camps in Siberia; for others, a brutal end at the hands of the much-feared NKVD, Stalin’s secret police. Shostakovich knew he had one chance to redeem himself and, incredibly, he pulled it off without sacrificing his artistry.

The Fifth Symphony opens with glistening rivers of colour from the strings, interrupted by doom-laden fanfares from the brass and percussion. The slow largo develops into a lament of such power, it left listeners in tears, and the final movement is set off by a furious explosion of brass and timpani, with flurries of strings and woodwinds rushing through to a thunderous finale.

In the end, what may have saved Shostakovich was the ecstatic 45-minute ovation received at the premiere.."